I’m not normally a mystery buff, but Pajer’s first book, “A Spark of Death,” has really captured my attention. It takes place in Seattle at the turn of the century. The protagonist, Benjamin Bradshaw, is an electrical engineering professor at the University of Washington. He investigates a horrible accident (and perhaps murder) involving a machine built on the theories of Nikola Tesla.

Pajer generously seasons her plot with enticing tidbits of 1900s Seattle. What was transportation like? How much did the University of Washington cost? Were females allowed to attend college? I felt like I got a mini-history lesson in the middle of an entertaining storyline. I liked the book so much that I bought a copy to give as a gift to a friend.

There are two more Professor Bradshaw books that I haven’t read yet, “Capacity for Murder” and “Fatal Induction.” I am looking forward to reading them both. Happily, our local libraries and bookstores have the whole series.